Hampton Sixth Form allows boys to approach their post-16 education in a supportive yet challenging environment.

Andrew Wood describes his experience:

Teaching is organised in small groups, enabling pupils to build close partnerships with their Sixth Form subject tutors, ensuring their personal and academic development. The majority of boys continue their education through to Sixth Form at Hampton School. However we do welcome a number of external applicants every year from both the State and Independent sectors.

SIXTH FORM LIFE

Sixth Formers are viewed as the School’s leaders, at the apex of everything: sport, music, drama, debating, and community service, to name but a few.

They set the standards for the whole School in all they do and the opportunities this provides for leading younger pupils is a key difference between attending a school and going to a Sixth Form College.

Our boys are encouraged to develop the qualities of leadership, initiative and service to others. We believe this enables them to leave school with the confidence and skills to tackle the ever-increasing complexity of modern life.

FACILITIES

Common Room

Sixth formers are privileged to have their own Common Room where they have space to relax and socialise. The Common Room includes football tables, a television and a dedicated canteen.

Library

The School Library offers an extensive range of resources and is available for boys’ use before, during and after School.

Dress Code

Sixth Form boys are required to wear dark business suits; this must include, a formal shirt (no ‘lumberjack’-style checked shirts) and a School tie. Pullovers should be plain, sober-coloured and V-necked, with the tie visible. Jackets should be worn around the School.

In common with the great majority of academically selective schools we believe that A levels currently offer the best post-16 education model. We continuously keep abreast of developments, assessing and examining the educational and examination options available to Sixth Form Students, with a view to ensuring that Hampton retains its place at the forefront of academic learning.

Benefits of the A level system

Both the reformed A Levels and Cambridge Pre-U examinations have challenging content. There are nine periods (360 minutes) dedicated to each subject in the Upper Sixth; this enables teachers to take boys into the extra level of detail necessary for A and A* grades.

A levels allow students to choose the subjects they wish to study according to the English tradition of broad-based education to 16 followed by a greater degree of Sixth Form specialisation

Lower Sixth

In the Lower Sixth the basic pattern of the academic curriculum currently allows for the study of at least four mainstream subjects, three of which will be continued in the Upper Sixth, one of which will conclude with the sitting of an AS Level at the end of the Lower Sixth.

Upper Sixth

In the Upper Sixth students will be able to continue with at least three mainstream Advanced (A2) Levels or Pre-U examinations. Almost without exception, Upper Sixth leavers go on to degree courses at highly regarded universities (Russell Group or equivalent), either directly or after a Gap Year. Many boys (approximately 15% per year) go on to Oxbridge degrees.

Hampton School Sixth Form also provides numerous opportunities for leadership and for boys to grow personally, preparing them for life at university and beyond.

The Hampton Extended Project was introduced to provide students with additional stretch and challenge. It offers them the opportunity to produce an extended piece of work either in an area they are already studying or in which they have a particular interest. The process of organising and producing the project develops the skills of research, analysis, independent learning and time-management that are so highly valued by the top universities.

Students choose topics which interest them (a) alongside an A level syllabus, (b) cutting across syllabus boundaries or (c) in new, but related, territory. Students then research and produce an essay of at least 5000 words, fully academically referenced. Once complete, boys will give a presentation to some of their peers and staff on the subject of their research and take questions.

The School is able to mention this work positively in the students’ university references and several boys have found themselves discussing their research in depth at university interviews.

Essays in the past few years have included:

Scottish independence

Quantum gravity

Variable stars

The history and future of Bitcoin

Napoleon’s legacy on modern France

Climate change/sea level rise and the effects on human activity

A comparison and explanation of cross-culture kinship

The development of the Japanese writing system and its impact on Japanese culture

As part of Hampton School’s aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for its pupils, all students in the Sixth Form have two periods of Curriculum Enrichment a week as an opportunity for broadening horizons and the mind.

These cover areas and issues which we would consider to be topics on which an intelligent, articulate and free-thinking individual should have on opinion; and provide skills which will be vital for a successful time at university and in the world beyond. They include:

Thinking Skills

The skill of Critical Thinking is, for obvious reasons, regarded highly by universities. All boys at Hampton will learn the art of argumentation including the skills of analysis and constructing strong arguments, as well as that of assessing evidence. Many of these skills will be useful in aptitude tests sat for the leading universities.

Politics

In the maintained sector students now have Citizenship classes, and at Hampton we have embraced the best elements of this idea. All students are asked to examine, amongst other issues, our political parties, our electoral and criminal justice system and the role of the monarchy.

Science and Society

Boys will learn the importance of science in shaping today’s world and the world of the future. They will study the principles of scientific progress and the nature of scientific objectivity as well as the social, ethical and environmental implications of technological progress and the moral responsibility of scientists. All of these areas will be studied through 21st century issues such as health, space travel and genetics.

Current Affairs

It is, of course, important that anyone applying to university is au fait with the hot political and global topics of the moment. In this session, students will analyse the big issues in the news and research and present on current issues of particular interest to them.

Contemporary Art

The art world is often depicted as a detached, unfathomable and mysterious place. We are presented with headlines guiding us to see the shock factor of contemporary art while ignoring the bigger picture. Art, like many other areas of cultural significance, deserves to be given a little time for contemplation with an open mind and a perhaps a little bit of learning, before you can relax and enjoy the richness it can bring. In these sessions, students will explore the meanings and impact of some contemporary artists’ work and also consider the often exceptionally high values generated by such art.

Mindfulness

Hampton School is one of the pioneers of Mindfulness practice in education. Mindfulness techniques help build confidence, well-being and focus, enabling all pupils to flourish. They help us to recognise our inner critic and balance this with more discernment and kindness towards ourselves. This increases confidence and encourages top performances both academically and in sport. Boys involved in music, drama and public speaking also follow the practices from the course allowing them to deliver exceptional performances on stage.

Community Service

We feel that it is important that every Hamptonian recognises his privileged position and offers something back to the community. It is for this reason that every student does some community service in local primary schools helping children to read and generally assisting in the classroom.